Overtime Pay in California — Time and a Half Calculator

Short answer

Yes — California requires daily overtime. California has the most protective rules in the country: time and a half after 8 hours in a workday or 40 in a workweek, double time after 12 hours in a day, plus time and a half for the first 8 hours of the seventh consecutive workday and double time beyond 8 hours on that seventh day. That is on top of the federal baseline, so you can earn overtime in California even in a week under 40 hours if a single day runs long. Time and a half means 1.5 times your regular hourly rate, so $20 an hour becomes $30 an hour, and 10 overtime hours pay $300. On California's $16.90 minimum wage, time and a half works out to $25.35 an hour.

Prefilled with California's $16.90 minimum wage — change the rate to your own.

California overtime by the numbers

Minimum wage

$16.90

Time and a half

$25.35

Double time

$33.80

45-hour week

$802.75

A 45-hour week at the California minimum wage pays $802.75: $676.00 for the first 40 hours plus $126.75 for 5 hours at $25.35. Those 5 overtime hours are worth $42.25 more than the same 5 hours paid straight. Because California sets its floor $9.65 above the federal $7.25, its minimum overtime rate is $14.47 an hour higher than the federal minimum's $10.88.

What the daily rule is actually worth: a 4×10 compressed week is 40 hours, so it earns zero overtime under federal law. In California, with overtime starting after 8 hours a day, that identical schedule produces 8 hours of time and a half — $202.80 extra at the state minimum wage, or about $10,140.00 over 50 working weeks.

Minimum wage figure from the U.S. Department of Labor, State Minimum Wage Laws, updated 2026-07-01 (retrieved 2026-08-23). Every other number on this page is calculated from it. Local ordinances can set a higher minimum than the state rate.

Does California have daily overtime?

Yes. California has the most protective rules in the country: time and a half after 8 hours in a workday or 40 in a workweek, double time after 12 hours in a day, plus time and a half for the first 8 hours of the seventh consecutive workday and double time beyond 8 hours on that seventh day. That is on top of the federal baseline, so a California worker can earn overtime even in a week under 40 hours if a single day runs long.

Confirm the current rule and exemptions with the official source: California DLSE overtime FAQ.

The California exceptions worth knowing

Exceptions apply for employees on a validly adopted alternative workweek schedule (California Labor Code section 510). This is a narrow rule rather than a general one — it changes the answer only for the workers it names, and everyone else in California is on the standard rule described above. Source: U.S. Department of Labor, State Minimum Wage Laws.

The federal rule that always applies in California

Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), covered non-exempt employees in California must be paid at least 1.5 times their regular rate for every hour worked over 40 in a workweek. The math is two steps: overtime rate = regular rate × 1.5, then overtime pay = overtime rate × overtime hours. The authoritative federal reference is the U.S. Department of Labor overtime page. Rules change — confirm anything time-sensitive with California's state labor department before relying on it.

No tax on overtime in California

Overtime has never had a special higher tax rate — it is ordinary income. And under the 2025 federal law commonly called “no tax on overtime,” eligible workers in California can deduct the premium portion of FLSA overtime (the extra 0.5x) from federal taxable income, up to annual caps, for tax years 2025 through 2028. Because it is federal, it applies in California the same as every other state. Estimate what it is worth with the no tax on overtime calculator.

Run your California numbers

Use the calculator above for a quick 1.5x figure, add double-time hours in the overtime calculator if your schedule qualifies, and compare every state's rules on the overtime rules by state page. This site does the math; your California labor department and the U.S. DOL are the authorities on classification and eligibility.

California overtime FAQ

Does California require overtime after 8 hours in a day?

What is the overtime rate in California?

Overtime in California is time and a half — 1.5 times your regular hourly rate — for every hour that qualifies. At $20 an hour that is $30 per overtime hour. The rate math is the same nationwide; only which hours qualify can differ by state.

Do I get overtime for a 4x10 schedule in California?

Under federal law, no — four 10-hour days is 40 hours, so no weekly overtime is owed. In California the daily rule changes that: with overtime starting after 8 hours in a day, the same 40-hour schedule produces 8 hours of time and a half. At the California minimum wage that is $202.80 of extra pay for the identical hours.

What is time and a half on California's minimum wage?

California's minimum wage is $16.90 an hour, so time and a half at the minimum is $25.35 an hour and double time is $33.80. A 45-hour week at the California minimum works out to $802.75 gross — $126.75 more than a 40-hour week. Figures from the U.S. Department of Labor, State Minimum Wage Laws, updated 2026-07-01.

Is there no tax on overtime in California?

The 2025 federal "no tax on overtime" law lets eligible workers in California deduct the premium (extra 0.5x) portion of FLSA overtime from federal taxable income, up to annual caps, for tax years 2025 through 2028. It is a federal deduction, so it applies to workers in California the same as everywhere else. Overtime is still ordinary income otherwise — there is no special overtime tax rate.

Compare nearby states

California sits in the Pacific division. Overtime rules are set state by state, so the states next door are the useful comparison.

States with daily overtime

These are the exceptions worth knowing — they pay overtime on a long single day, not just a long week.